A cowboy, a rapper, and a Texas-girl walk into a bar. It sounds like the beginning of a cheesy joke, but this was the scene at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster on Friday, Jan. 17.

Hailing from Brooklyn, Gangstagrass seamlessly fuses hip-hop and bluegrass, creating a sound unlike any other. Not only is an unlikely pairing evident in their music, but also in the members of the band. Gangstagrass has everything from dreadlocks to cowboy hats, and it surprisingly works. The project, initiated by producer and acoustic guitarist Rench, exceeded expectations when their track "Long Hard Times to Come" became the theme song for the FX show "Justified."

Lead by the energetic stylings of rappers R-SON and Dolio the Sleuth, the crowd was engaged from the first beat of the show. You could not help but stand up and dance right along with them the band. Gangstagrass stayed true to the roots of bluegrass with a banjo, acoustic guitar, steel guitar and fiddle, while adding in new age hip-hop beats.

Whether you were just a casual music fan, or a die-hard follower, there was no denying that Gangstagrass came to have fun and, as R-SON declared, "rock hard enough to wake up the Amish." The band moved swiftly through its set, with little-to-no pauses in between songs, making it nearly impossible to look away for even a moment.

The show even came to the people. R-SON snaked his way back to the bar, spitting his hypnotic, off-the-cuff verses the whole way.

During the final cut of the night, Rench informed the crowd the band would be mingling by the bar. He reassured everyone, "I know we do a lot of songs about shooting people, but we're actually nice. Just don't tell anyone."

It would be unjust to not mention local gem and concert opener Wayfarer Experiment, a soulful bluegrass group playing in their hometown of Lancaster. Lead singer Bjorn Jacobsen's howling voice echoed through the rafters as violinist Robin Chambers continued to outdo her previous mind-blowing solo. This high energy band was the perfect complimentary act to the foot-stomping headliner.

As a whole, it was a night of eye-opening juxtaposition. The stage was shared by a lanky, banjo-pickin' cowboy and couple of rappers effortlessly freestyling. From one end of the spectrum to the other, their music bridges the seemingly wide gap between hip-hop and bluegrass. Gangstagrass is one of music's best kept secrets.

Elijah Hermitt is a freshman at Penn State, where he maintains a music blog, "For the Record."

This story has been updated to correct the name of the violinist for The Wayfarer Experiment.